Frohes Noues Jahr!

I didn’t have plans for NYE except to go down to the harbor to watch the fireworks. The city hosts a bunch of free sites for such which I decided to take advantage of instead of paying upwards of $150-$800 for a premier private spot.  As long as you got there early enough to stake out your spot, you were golden. Friends of mine from my previous trip in the Whitsundays were coming to Sydney for NYE, in addition to the rest of the backpacker population in Australia.

Fireworks!

My camera didn't do so well, capturing the night...so I borrowed these.

Hard to find pictures to really show how amazing the fireworks truly were.

This is because if you didn’t know, Sydney is the #1 spot to be for NYE, worldwide. It reaches the New Year ahead of any other capitol city and does it in great style, with a brilliant fireworks display over the Sydney Harbor. Thus, I decided, I was going to be a part of this monumental event, even if it seemed crazy.

My friends I was meeting up with went to claim their spot and view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge at 9am, 15hrs before the show began. I being a little behind, left the Hyde Park Plaza (where I was fortunate to be staying at my friend Chuck’s), which is just a short 10-minute walk to where my friends sat, at 11:30am. I did not get to my friends until 2hrs later however…

This was because there was que to get in which wrapped around the grassy area in front of the Art Gallery of NSW that seemed to include 1,000s of people. I waited in it for nearly two hours in the hot sun, playing I-spy with a family from Perth and an elderly English couple.  To be honest this was not the highlight of the day, and almost deterred me from waiting in the que.

With the officials closing the gates at 20,000 attendants or at 3pm, whichever happened first, I was scared I wouldn’t get in, but at last I did.  I found my friends in the masses with ease and sat down happily. They indeed had a great view (located right behind the media section).

Air Show started at 6pm

There were 2 fireworks displays, one at 9pm for families and one at midnight

The Air show and Lighted Boat Parade started at 6pm, entertaining us for the time being and then at 9pm a fireworks display for families got everyone excited for the major display at midnight. The last three hours leading up to the main fireworks display was the hardest time to pass. Everyone became anxious and began to crowd in the area at this point, hoping for a better view. We held our ground, making alliances with the English couple behind us, and the Aussies to our left. The small fortress we built helped to keep our spots protected as we braved the crowds.

Me & a few of my closest friends - waiting for the New Year

Aussie friend who happen to get in the way of almost every photo I took

Finally it all began and as the crowd “ooohhh” and “awwwwed” we all were reminded why we had endured the long day – camped out in the heat. The fireworks were amazing! I was able to see 4 different spots in the sky where fireworks were being shot off around the harbor. The greatest part of the show for me was when the fireworks shot off the Harbour Bridge and when you could see them light up the Opera House. The incredible finale included a “waterfall” of fireworks pouring into the harbor from the bridge, which delighted all.

As the show came to an end, everyone exchanged hugs, wishing each other a happy new year and thatwas it…it was 2011. It may have taken all day to learn, but by the night’s end I was able to greet my friends, with wishes for the New Year in their native language, German, by saying: Frohes Noues Jahr! (Happy New Year’s).